Performing Arts Update 2018
Whanganui High School Arts students continue to feature heavily in the media with reports of their on-going successes on stage, in exhibitions, both locally and in the North Island.
We hit the year running and 90 junior students rehearsed all of Term One to produce the musical: “Once on this Island”. This coincided wonderfully with the Broadway show receiving this year’s Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Of note: lighting, sound, set and stage management were all taken care of by Senior students. We are incredibly proud of what the cast and crew achieved and it will be a positive experience that will stay with the students forever and prepare the Juniors for our school-wide productions.
Junior and Senior students put their Shakespearean talents to the test; entering and hosting the Otago University Sheilah Winn Regional Shakespeare Festival in April. Congratulations to Simmone Sarup, Timara Wallace, Jayden Grant and Lachlan Baxter who won the Regional Competition and were selected to perform at The National Festival in June. They performed a self-directed, 5 minute piece from ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and gained invaluable experience being part of a National Competition.
During the recent Regional Smokefreerockquest competitions, WHS proved that we really can rock the city and took away a massive 10 out the possible 12 awards! 1st place Best Band AND Smokefree Tangata Beats Award AND Smokefree Best Vocals: ‘The Remnant’ Cypress Kani -Hurinui, Wiremu Rogan, Toka Poa, Joshua Waitai, Chester Nevil. 2nd place: ‘Pantheon’ Daniel Hubers, Daniel Goodwin, Kahu Miller, Sebastian Alcayaga Rojas. 3rd place: ‘3 White Guys & Caleb’ - Jack McCoubrie, Ethan Mancer, Jonathan Stolk, Noah Belchambers. 2nd place soloist: Maia Falkner, MAINZ Musicianship Award: Imogen Maguire, Best Song: ‘The Zodiacs’ Georgia Morris, Alex Paikea. Fatboy Style Award: ‘Spicey’ Markus Lawrence, Casey Scott, Ethan Coffey, Konrad Shaw, Freya Battersby. APRA Lyric Writers Award: Imogen Maguire and Victoria Whibley. Rock on WHS!!. WHS’s final claim to fame is having the highest amount of entries second to Timaru in NZ!
From rock to Chamber Music, a record 12 ensembles took to the Wanganui Collegiate stage entering the NZCT Chamber Music Regional Contest that was held on Friday 8th June. Another record was set and WHS won 8 of the possible 12 awards. Highly Commended: ‘No Strings Attached’ brass ensemble: Caleb Squire, Luke Squire, Sarah Wright, Ethan Mancer, Isaac Paterson. Ethan and Sarah have also, recently gained a place in the NZ Secondary Schools Brass band AND the NZ Youth Brass Band. Congratulations to you both! ‘2 Crotchets and a Quaver’: Abby Squire, Ahimsha Saravanapavan and Anna Zhang. ‘Triple A’ a combined Collegiate and WHS group featuring Allyssa Pram-Vocalist. Allyssa also won The Wanganui Music Society award for the Best Ensemble featuring a vocalist and her ensemble were selected to go through to the National quarter finals. Original Composition Performance Award: ‘Classical Modes #3’. Composer Ben Power (we await news of his standing in the National Composition Competition) Ben Power, Ginny Thomson and Xavier Gregory from St Anthony’s.
KBB Music Awards to: ‘No Strings Attached’ and ‘The Buzz Rolls’ - Harvey Hughes, Chester Nevil, Jonathan Stolk. Adjudicator’s Award-‘Guitarsafire’ Cameron Walker, David Dale, Jack Fawthorpe, Noah Payne. My special thanks to the incredible Itinerant teachers who have worked so hard for the Department and students: Michael Franklin-Browne, Fred Loveridge, Marie Brooks, Liz Newton, Bruce Jellyman.
In the Visual Arts scene, we congratulate Mikayla Baldwin for a successful exhibition in response to The Fine Arts Whanganui Young Artists Scholarship and to Lily Claypole for winning The WDC Youth Committee Youth Recognition Award at the Whanganui Arts Revue.
The International Cultural Concert was again a huge success with all international students providing national food, dance and music. This event is highly enjoyed by the school wide community and streamed to parents and friends worldwide!
The Kapa Haka group, Kia Whaiora, have just returned from Waitara performing at the annual Pae Rangatahi Secondary Schools Kapa Haka Festival and whilst it was non-competitive year for the Kapa Haka group congratulations to Sophia ‘Unga-Cribb winning the Sir Turi Carroll Award in the Junior Maori English speech competition. We wish the Pasifika group well as they compete in the Regional Pasifika Festival in the last week of the term.
And, if that’s not enough…..students have been performing at the Outdoor Open Mic concerts during break times and the Cultural Prefects ran a Cultural week including Chalk Paint Art down the Centre Court, Hip Hop classes and Rockquest performances. Looking ahead….WHS is entering SHOWQUEST 2018 (the newly named Stage Challenge, taken over by Rockquest promotions) where we will be aiming to defend our National title. Keep an eye on the news about when and where our performance will be during August.
Finally, in September at the Royal Wanganui Opera House, you can have a chance to witness first hand all of the above talented students at Whanganui High School on stage in the Annual Performing Arts Concert. It will be show not to be missed!!
Our academic success profile is enviable throughout the country and this success is enriched by the extracurricular experiences that make connection with Wanganui High School so fulfilling for our students.
Jeanette Jones
TIC Music/Performing Arts Coordinator
